Speakers Speakers photos, bio’s and presentation outlines will be added to this page as they come in Maurie Abraham Maurie was principal of Opotiki College, a decile 1 secondary school in the Eastern Bay of Plenty with a roll of 500 with 80% being Maori, for 10 years. He was previously Deputy Principal at Opotiki College for 10 years. Since October he has begun his new position as Foundation Principal of Hobsonville Point Secondary School which will open in 2014. The first 10 years of his time at Opotiki College was spent designing and monitoring the use of punitive behaviour management systems. His last 10 years there were about dismantling these systems and replacing them with restorative practices. The results included suspensions dropping from 60 a year to zero. As well, in 2007 ERO was asked to focus on the use of restorative practices in the school and concluded that: “respect for the individual and an expectation that each member of the school community takes responsibility for their actions form the basis of the school’s values [and] The approach to behaviour management is contributing to a settled school climate that supports teaching and learning.” Since that time the culture of strong relationships that developed enabled the school to embrace a radically changed timetable of 3 learning periods a day and small-group learning advisories. Despite throwing out centralised punitive discipline systems he has discovered that the sun still comes up each morning and goes down each evening! Abstract The first 10 years of his time at Opotiki College Maurie was Deputy Principal and spent his time designing and monitoring the use of punitive behaviour management systems. His last 10 years there were about dismantling these systems and replacing them with restorative practices. The results included suspensions dropping from 60 a year to zero. As well, in 2007 ERO was asked to focus on the use of restorative practices in the school and concluded that: “respect for the individual and an expectation that each member of the school community takes responsibility for their actions form the basis of the school’s values [and] The approach to behaviour management is contributing to a settled school climate that supports teaching and learning.” As well as ensuring no student was suspended from the school in the last 6 years there has emerged a remarkable pattern of student achievement in national qualifications growing over that period until 2011 when the levels of achievement in this decile 1 school equalled the average levels of schools in deciles 8-10. More recently, the culture of strong relationships that developed enabled the school to embrace a radically changed timetable of 3 learning periods per day and small-group learning advisories. These structural changes, supported by the restorative culture, have resulted in a major pedagogical shift within all teaching staff. Such a radical shift would not have occurred without the several years of restorative practice experience. His session will give a brief overview of the model of Restorative Practice used at Opotiki College and a summary of outcomes, both behavioural and academic. It will then track the implementation process that followed that has resulted in the move towards a relationship- based curriculum and pedagogy more appropriate for a 21st century learning environment and then canvass possible future scenarios that may emerge. Hon Chester Borrows As a Minister with responsibilities for Courts and Youth Justice/Child Offending and as Associate Minister of Justice and Associate Minister for Social Development, Hon Chester Borrows is concentrating on the accessibility of justice to those engaging with the courts and the youth justice system. Chester has been the Whanganui Electorate Member of Parliament since 2005.  With a history in policing and the law, Chester’s policy interests are around Law and Order and Welfare. He was raised in Nelson and attended Nayland College before entering the Police in 1975 as a 17-year-old Cadet. For 24 years he worked as a uniformed and CIB officer in cities, provincial towns and rural stations before leaving the Police to stand for Parliament in 1999. He attended Victoria University, obtaining an LLB between elections and campaigned again in 2002. Narrowly beaten a second time, Chester then started work with Till Henderson King as a staff solicitor with a general practice but concentrating on Criminal Law. He finished work in March 2005 to campaign again, this time successfully. Chester draws on this experience in his work in Parliament and the electorate. While in opposition between 2005 and 2008, Chester was appointed National Party Police Spokesman and as part of the Law and Order Team worked on those policies dealing with Police, Corrections and Justice. During the 2008-2011 parliamentary term Chester was the Chair of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee and a member of the Social Services Committee. 2011 saw him promoted to Minister for Courts, including responsibilities as Associate Minister of Justice and Associate Minister for Social Development. He is also a Member of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee. Kathryn Fox Kathryn Fox, Ph.D., is a professor of Sociology at the University of Vermont (USA). She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley (USA) in 1994. Her qualitative research has covered topics such as AIDS prevention programs for injection drug users, cognitive therapy for violent offenders in prison, and most recently, the adaptation of restorative justice to the process of offenders reentering communities. She received a Fulbright award to conduct research in New Zealand (beginning in February 2013) on the ways that restorative justice can be used for offender reentry. She is affiliated with Victoria University's School of Social and Cultural Studies and Rethinking Crime and Punishment in Wellington. Kathy Fox’s Presentation Restorative justice has yet to be implemented as widely in the U.S. as it has been in New Zealand. However, because of its mass incarceration, the U.S. has been trying to address the problems associated with offender reentry (reintegration) by rethinking its strategies around release. A few states have adapted restorative justice to this end by creating community-based reintegration programs that provide support and accountability for returning offenders. This presentation documents some preliminary findings from a comparison of the U.S.’s approach to offender reentry practice (specifically in the state of Vermont), and New Zealand’s use of both restorative justice in post-sentence contexts and its orientation to offender reintegration. Opportunities for greater use of restorative practice in offender reentry will be discussed, as well as insights from some efforts in the U.S. to make offender reentry community-based, more effective, and counter to the purely punitive tactic that has dominated the past few decades. Major General A.D. (Dave) Gawn, MBE Commander Joint Forces NZ Major General Dave Gawn was born in Marton, New Zealand in May 1958 and was educated at Dunstan High School. He enlisted into the New Zealand Army in August 1978 and was posted to 2nd/1st Battalion Royal NZ Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR). He undertook initial officer training at the Officer Cadet School, Portsea in Australia and graduated into the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant in June 1980. After a period of post graduate training and Platoon Commander experience at the Waiouru, Major General Gawn was posted to the 2/1 RNZIR, Burnham Camp as a Platoon Commander. In December 1981, he was posted to the 1st Battalion RNZIR, Singapore. In May 1984, he returned to New Zealand, posted as the Staff Officer Air and Special Duties on Headquarters Army Training Group, Waiouru. In December 1985 he was posted to Headquarters Land Force Command, Takapuna. He was promoted to Captain in January 1987. In October 1987, Major General Gawn was posted to the 1st Ranger Company as the Officer Commanding. Major General Gawn was posted to Headquarters Land Force Command as the Staff Officer - Peacekeeping in December 1989. A year later, he was posted as the New Zealand Instructor at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra. He returned to New Zealand in December 1992 to the 1st Battalion RNZIR at Linton Camp as a Company Commander. In September 1994 he was posted to NZFOR UNPROFOR as the Officer Commanding Kiwi Company based at Santici Camp, Bosnia. Major General Gawn returned to New Zealand in March 1995 and shortly thereafter was posted to the United States to attend Staff College at Leavenworth and advanced training at Quantico. He returned to New Zealand in June 1997 and assumed the appointment as Instructor, Tactical School, Waiouru. In January 1998 on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel he was posted to Development Branch, Army General Staff Wellington. He moved to Trentham in May 1999 when the Capability, Analysis and Doctrine (CAD) Cell was set up. In July 2000 Major General Gawn was posted to the NZ United Nations Transitional Authority (East Timor) as the Commanding Officer, the 3rd New Zealand Battalion Group. He returned to New Zealand in May 2001 initially as Joint Staff Officer at the Joint Force Headquarters, Upper Hutt. While posted to the Headquarters he was promoted to Colonel. In December 2002 Major General Gawn was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, Development Branch Army General Staff Wellington. In January 2005 he commenced study at the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies. After completion of this course in December 2005 he was appointment as Commander 3rd Land Force Group, Burnham Military Camp. In October 2007 he was promoted to Brigadier and became the Land Component Commander within Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand. With effect 6 December 2010, Major General Gawn assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Army. In April 2011, he was promoted to his current rank and assumed his current position of Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. Major General Gawn was awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1996 New Year’s Honours List. In May 2001, he received a Force Commander’s Commendation for his role in East Timor. Tony Paine Tony Paine has been CEO of Victim Support since 2008. He has over 27 years experience in not-for-profit management working in the health, social service and cultural sectors, including with the NZ AIDS Foundation in Auckland, and the Methodist Mission, Comcare Trust and Arts Centre in Christchurch. Tony served on the Board of Housing New Zealand Corporation for five years and has a Masters in Management Studies from Waikato University. He is married with two daughters. Abstract Victim Support CEO Tony Paine will explore the meanings, challenges, risks and benefits of a ‘victim-centric’ approach to restorative justice. He will attempt to answer (with the help of all present) the question: “Is victim-centric restorative justice compatible with the relationships and processes required for true restoration?”.   Margaret Thorsborne     Margaret Thorsborne is the Managing Director of Margaret Thorsborne and Associates, a restorative justice consultancy, whose work in education, policing, justice and workplaces has taken her across Australia, New Zealand, Britain, USA and Canada. She is currently consultant to various state and national government bodies and agencies in Australia, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom.   She is Vice Chair of Restorative Practice International, an associate member of Restorative Justice Aotearoa, member of Victorian Association of Restorative Justice, Silvan Tomkins Institute in Philadelphia, and her company is a registered trainer with the Restorative Justice Council in the United Kingdom

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